A popular form of ecumenical worship is returning to Springfield next month.

Madonna Jones said Taize services are punctuated by periods of silence, a worship space lit mostly by candlelight and participatory repetitive chanting, often done in Latin.

And, she said, she’s seen people reduced to tears.

“It’s meditative, it’s communal prayer, and it’s an opportunity to get to know our neighbors and celebrate our common belief in Jesus Christ,” said Jones, a pastoral associate at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church.

The March 16 service will be held there on the second Sunday of Lent, a preparatory period leading up to Holy Week and Easter.

The Taize movement locally got a boost in 2010 when several churches from the Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian (USA) Church and United Methodist Church denominations held monthly services on a rotating basis. Several churches, said Jones, continue to hold services throughout the year in their own styles.

The roots of Taize (pronounced Ti zay) go back to the 1940s when the unique international, but ecumenical religious community was founded in the Burgundy region of France. Today, about 100 brothers from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds live and work there, professing communal sharing, celibacy and “simplicity of life,” codified in “The Rule of Taize.”

Jones said the St. Cabrini choir will be supplemented with other singers from around the area familiar with the Taize method. Piano, guitar, flute, violin, percussion and synthesizer are also integrated into the songs, she said.

A short, simple mantra, psalm or phrase is chanted over and over, with different instruments and harmonies gradually introduced, explained Jones. The emphasis, she said, is trying to create an air of prayerfulness.

Scripture, intercessory prayer and prolonged periods of reflective silence also are part of the service, which is led by lay members. Participants process with lit candles — signifying the light of Christ — and place them on a table in front of a cross at the front of the church.

Jones said a lot of people are drawn to those elements of Taize prayer.

“I get a lot of people who come to me really touched by the chance to sit and be reflective,” she said. “I’ve seen many people close their eyes and sing, and I’ve seen people brought to tears. When people are struggling, (Taize) brings calm and peace, and what I see in those tears is hope, that everything is going to be all right.”

Jones said a tight network from different faith backgrounds championing the Taize style has developed locally.

“The challenge is to get people (to a service) for the first time,” said Jones. “Then I think they’ll enjoy the opportunity.

“People are seeking this kind of prayer, seeking a more spiritual life. It’s a little gift you give yourself. You sit and listen to prayers. I think people are hungry for that.”